The Sunshine State of Mind
by Caera1996
Summary: During their time as cadets, Jim and Bones have a week off and decide to travel to a new place, despite Jim's initial misgivings. There, Bones gets Jim to broaden his culinary horizons, and Jim realizes that his feelings towards Bones aren't just about the food.


**Title:** The Sunshine State of Mind  
**Author:** Caera1996  
**Rating:** G  
**W/C:** 1,416  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine.  
**Notes:** For **smudley**…it was a winding road, but your original request is in there. Promise!  
**Summary:** During their time as cadets, Jim and Bones have a week off and decide to travel to a new place, despite Jim's initial misgivings. There, Bones gets Jim to broaden his culinary horizons, and Jim realizes that his feelings towards Bones isn't just about the food.

* * *

Jim paused, a forkful of food halfway to his mouth, and Leonard rolled his eyes as an almost comical expression of confusion came over him.

"You want to go to _Florida_? Why?"

"What the hell is wrong with Florida?" Leonard asked, bristling a little at Jim's incredulous tone.

"Uh…well, nothing I suppose. If you like 99% humidity, mosquitos, and cockroaches that crawl _and_ fly." He gave an exaggerated shudder at that. "And waterways with alligators, and wooded areas with pygmy rattlesnakes, and…"

"And beautiful beaches, and amazing snorkeling, and the Keys, and nature trails…and the Everglades," Leonard finished.

Jim chewed thoughtfully, eyes on his friend. He hadn't expected anything wildly exciting when he'd told Bones to choose where they went for their week off between semesters, but he hadn't expected _Florida_ either.

"Bones, with all the places we could go, Florida just seems a little…" _boring, pedestrian, banal_… "ordinary. What about seeing the dust storms from Jupiter Station? Or staying at the biodomes on Mars?"

Leonard snorted and elbowed Jim. "It's been two years, you idiot. Don't you know me at all?"

Jim chuckled, and gave a conceding shrug. He was right. Nothing about either of those two options said "Bones".

"Okay, well if we stay here, why not go somewhere amazing, like…the Grand Canyon? Or someplace wild and fun, like Vegas? Just…why Florida?"

Leonard stirred his rice, eyes on his food. It wasn't that Jim didn't have a point…and he knew he would have a good time with Jim, somewhere Jim actually wanted to go. But…

"Did you know that, even with all the places the human race has been, there is still _nothing_ – on our world or anywhere else – like the Everglades?" he asked. He glanced up, and Jim shook his head, listening carefully. "It's a totally unique ecosystem. It's actually a river. A 96 kilometer wide river, that's over 160 kilometers long. And yeah, there are alligators and snakes. And crocodiles, by the way. But there's also foxes, deer, bears, marsh rabbits, panthers and bobcats, and so much more."

He paused and met Jim's eyes again. "My daddy always wanted to visit the Everglades. We'd planned to go…but then he got his diagnosis and…" Leonard trailed off, shaking his head. There was so much he regretted about the way those last few years went. But his biggest regret was easily about the way he'd thrown himself into desperately trying to find a cure – at the exclusion of everything else – for nothing.

He hadn't told Jim the whole story yet…couldn't bring himself to. It was still a deep, deep pain.

"It's just…it's something I should've done with my father when I had the chance."

Jim was surprised at how much this seemed to mean to Bones. He almost never talked about his father, or the long illness that ultimately resulted in his death. Jim could hear in his voice how much it weighed on Bones still, and his heart went out to him. He'd never known his father, but there were plenty of times he'd wished with every fiber of his being that he'd survived that fateful day. He could only imagine what it was like to have known and loved a parent only to lose him in such a way.

And suddenly, Leonard asking him to accompany him to Florida seemed less like an imposition and more like an honor.

Bones was looking a little self-conscious, and Jim didn't want that. It was weird how important he'd become to Jim over the last couple of years. Maybe because he'd taken Jim just as himself, and not the son of a hero. Maybe because they both had baggage from the life they'd left behind when they boarded that transport in Riverside. Maybe because he felt like Bones was the only one who was safe, who didn't want anything from him, who had yet to let him down.

"You know…that does sound more interesting than I thought. Florida sounds like a good idea to me. You want to book it, or should I?"

Leonard looked up at him again, happiness in his eyes.

"Thanks, Jim."

* * *

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* * *

It was as hot and humid as he'd expected it would be. It rained for about three hours almost every day. The bugs were big enough to defend themselves.

But, the beaches were long and wide. The water was crystal clear and snorkeling on the reefs off of Key Largo was amazing. The food was a delicious cultural experience. And Bones was…happy.

And today was the day. Today, they were signed up to do a tour of the Everglades.

The original airboats were a thing of the past, which was a shame. It would be kinda cool to skim the surface of the water, rushing through standing saw grass, hearing and feeling the roar of the propeller. On the other hand, the quiet propulsion system of current flat bottom transports that could also work on land didn't scare the wildlife away.

In the end, the mode of transportation through the waterways, cypress stands, and saw grass fields of the Everglades didn't matter to Jim. What did matter was the expression of excited anticipation Bones wore. Jim couldn't remember ever seeing him so relaxed. His enjoyment made Jim enjoy the excursions even more.

They spent the day with the guides, spotting animals, marveling at the expanse of water and grasses, only occasionally broken by cypress stands and small islands. They each got to hold a baby alligator, and they tried a bite of the heart of a saw grass. They watched the guide don a pair of gloves to protect his hands from the serrated edges, give some of it a tug, and pare down the bottom part with a knife until he reached the tender, white heart of the grass. Jim had been reluctant, but Bones assured him that it was safe. He took a small bite, and was pleasantly surprised at the fresh, slightly nutty taste of it.

At the end of the day, they were returned to the main visitor area of the park. They spent some time shopping in the gift shop, and they took pictures of each other standing next to a mounted gator over 8 feet long. Finally, they visited the on-site restaurant. It didn't have a set menu because they served only what could be gained from their surroundings. Consequently, there were…critters…on the menu that had Jim preparing to have to be satisfied with just a salad.

Bones, on the other hand, was a surprisingly adventurous eater.

"Frog legs, snake, and alligator. Seriously?" Jim said, eyeing the platter with something like suspicion. "Are you really going to eat all of that?"

"Nope. You're going to share it with me," Bones replied. "What do you want to try first?"

"Uh…I'm good with the salad."

Bones rolled his eyes. "Come on, Jim. When has salad ever been a meal for you? Usually I have to practically force feed you vegetables. Here, I'll go first." Jim watched as he picked up a frog leg and took a bite. He chewed thoughtfully for a moment. "Hm. It actually _does_ taste like chicken."

"Really?"

"Yeah. The consistency is a little different. But most of the flavor is from the sauce."

Jim peered at the platter, looking a little more interested. "Are you sure I can eat it?"

Leonard couldn't help by feel a little sympathy for him. He knew his reluctance to try new foods wasn't just because he was wary of their taste. He had a lifetime of bad reactions and allergic responses tempering his attitude about new things.

"Yeah, Jim, I'm sure. I didn't ask for a list of the marinade and sauce ingredients for nothing." His eyes softened, and he offered Jim a small smile. "You know I would never let anything happen to you. And I have my Kirk-specific medkit. Just in case. Trust me?"

Jim sighed. He did. For some reason, trusting Bones was easy. Right.

He pushed his salad plate aside and selected a frog leg from the platter.

"Like chicken, huh?" Before he could think on it any more, Jim took a bite. Leonard watched him as he chewed, a smile in his eyes, as his expression went from carefully blank to a little more enthused.

"Wow…okay, that's actually pretty good," Jim said.

"Told you," Leonard said, playfully smug. "What're we trying next? Alligator or snake?"

Jim smiled, happy to be sharing this experience with Bones, and just beginning to realize what their friendship…their relationship…could be.

"You pick. I trust you."


End file.
